


A Struggle with Power

by fraufi666



Series: A Struggle with Power [1]
Category: Political RPF - Australian 20th-21st c.
Genre: Alternate Universe - Politics, Authority Figures, Blackmail, Crack, Daddy Issues, Explicit Language, M/M, Male Slash, Political Campaigns, Romance, Sabotage, Self-Esteem Issues, Sexual Repression, Suspense, This author will 10/10 go to hell if there is one, Unrequited Love, oedipus complex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:34:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25160950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fraufi666/pseuds/fraufi666
Summary: Being the son of a former prime minister is not easy, and neither is it when your father barely acknowledges your presence. Such is the life for Alex Turnbull, whose resentment for Malcolm Turnbull grows stronger when he sees his father blatantly supporting his brother-in-law, James Brown. But is there something more to his hatred, and insecurity for male figures of authority?
Relationships: Alex Turnbull/David Speers
Series: A Struggle with Power [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1880830
Kudos: 1





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This story is an AU. Although I have used real political figures this is entirely a work of fiction. All romantic encounters, events and insinuations are from my imagination. I mean no disrespect to any of the people depicted. I am also in no way politically biased.
> 
> Whilst Twitter is used as inspiration, I used a great deal of artistic liberty. Rest assured, NONE of this is real, and if it is...it's purely coincidental.

Numerous tweets flooded before him as he scrolled further down, reading the text in interest. A voice called out in desperation, but as if surrounded by an impenetrable wall, he sat, eyes glued to the screen.

“Alex! Please give me a hand with the groceries!” Yvonne tried again, struggling with three bags in one arm, while trying to soothe one of the crying children who had dropped his lollipop on the floor.

The voice finally grew clearer as his wife walked over to him, a few letters in her free hand. Spreading them out gently between her fingers, like a fan she examined each one carefully. “This one’s from your father, do you want to open it?”

“Bah,” Alex dismissed, with the wave of his hand. His glasses reflected the bright screen, for it seemed as if he were unable to look at anything else. “You read it.”

The slender Singaporean woman sighed, finally putting down the bags so she can have both hands free to open the letter.

 _Dear Alex and Yvonne,_

_You are cordially invited to James Brown’s birthday party at Point Piper. There will be a special announcement._

_Yours truly, Malcolm and Lucy.  
_

“Why the hell doesn’t father talk like a normal person, even in a personal letter?” Alex grumbled, finally taking off the spectacles and looking at his wife. The letter certainly grabbed his attention, “What special announcement?”

Yvonne turned the letter over, hoping there would be more information, “That’s it.” She responded in calm disappointment. “We’ll just have to go visit them.”

“Ugh, this is another one of father’s schemes.” Alex groaned, “He doesn’t care for anyone but himself. Even with a damn job, a house all the way in another country, he still makes us drop everything for him.”

“Oh Alex, he’s family.” Yvonne said soothingly, placing her fingers on the back of his head. Alex relaxed at her touch, leaning back. “You would regret it if you don’t go. Besides, aren’t you the least bit interested to find out what this announcement is?”

“Definitely not. Also what possessed father to invite my sister’s bloody husband to celebrate his birthday? He’s not 5. He can arrange his own birthday celebration.” Fingers gently stroked his dark locks and he unclenched his jaw at the sensation

“Darling, family is really important. We need to make the effort to see them, especially since we live so far. You need to relax.”

Alex shut his eyes “I’m trying.” He murmured. “But we just cannot go. It’s so ridiculous. His birthday is next week, that gives us so little time to pack.”

“So? Let’s pack now.” Yvonne reasoned. There was absolutely no way he could argue against her, for deep down, he wanted - no, needed to know what this special announcement was. James Brown couldn’t possibly know something he didn’t know, the thought was enough to make him grit his teeth in angst.

“FINE. “ Alex gave in, “You can call the babysitter for next week then.”

“No, Alex.” Yvonne responded firmly, getting up to finish putting away the groceries. “My hands are full, you have to do it.” As soon as she made her way to the kitchen, did Alex pull a face to mimic her silently, before picking up his phone beside him.

~

Much to Alex’s relief, the excruciating week was over and both he and Yvonne were walking up to the red brick building of Point Piper. Alex felt like he had been waiting an eternity for this moment, as the automatic gate opened, allowing them both to enter the estate. It was clear that Turnbull’s eye was on them. _Typical father_. Alex thought begrudgingly. _Not even bothering to say hello through the intercom._ Yvonne took Alex’s shaking hand in hers, smiling at her husband as a way of reassurance. She always seemed to know when he was getting agitated, and around his father, his nerves worsened.

As soon as they reached the door, it swung open to reveal the beaming Turnbulls. “Hello, Alex and Yvonne, so glad you can make it.” Lucy remarked politely, pulling each of them into an embrace in turn.

“So good to see you mother,” Alex responded feeling comforted by Lucy’s eager embrace. He turned to his father, who merely gave a single nod. He seemed more interested in Yvonne, to which he kissed on the cheek “My my, aren’t you beautiful. Ni Hao! Ni Hao!”

Yvonne nodded, awkwardly smiling at him, “Haha. Ni Hao, Malcolm.”

“Please, call me Bà Bà! I am your father now, aren’t I?” He allowed the Singaporean to walk in first, with Lucy soon after. But as soon as Alex made his way to the door, Malcolm immediately pushed his way in front of him. Alex rolled his eyes. He should have expected that sort of behaviour from Mr Turnbull by now. They came inside, the younger couple sitting down on the family couch together. Lucy and Malcolm sat on the facing chairs.  
  
“How was your trip?” Malcolm asked, “I trust you had a smooth flight in first class?”  
  
“Oh, Alex wouldn’t stop fidgeting and chewing his nails.” Yvonne teased, nudging him gently. Alex tensed up, embarrassed at her for having brought it up, “He still hates flying.”   
  
“No, I just hate that I can’t check my phone on the plane.” Alex grumbled. It was a half-truth, anyway. Not only did planes make him anxious, but also not being able to check Twitter made him feel much worse.  
  
“Ah, scared of planes as always.” Malcolm chuckled, “Some things never change.” He turned to Yvonne; “I just downloaded this great app called D-u-o-l-i-n-g-o on my phone to brush up on my Mandarin. Come out on the balcony and I’ll show you.”   
  
Yvonne stood up, shooting an apologetic glance at Alex before following the older man. At least now that dreadful man had left them in peace. All of that pent up frustration from the trip, as well as since last week, was finally released around his favourite family member.   
  
“Why mother? Why did you have to invite Daisy’s husband to our place? He’s not exactly homeless.” Alex complained, leaning back on the couch. Lucy got up to sit beside him.

“Alex, he’s family. Besides, there’s not much space over in their new place at the moment. But don’t worry, we can host your next birthday here and you can invite all of your friends.”  
  
“But mother, I don’t _have_ any friends.” Alex groaned in exasperation.   
  
“So, it’ll just be us four then. Don’t worry my dear.” She patted him on the knee, a gesture that would normally comfort him, yet he still had so much pent up frustration left.   
  
“You know how much I hate James.” Alex remarked darkly, “He wouldn’t stop crapping on about his war medals. Now we have to spend the entire day with him, too. It’s going to be _torture_!” He buried his face in his hands as he said this, knowing that he was not mentally prepared for what would happen for the rest of the day.   
  
But instead of any calm words of reassurance, his mother gave him a chuckle, “Oh Alex, you think you have it hard? Try being a woman in Sydney, surrounded by aggressive masculine symbols every day. Unable to escape the gigantic phalluses of glass and steel.”   
  
“Oh mother, not again.” Alex whined, knowing all too well the rant she was going to have about building women-friendly cities.* “It’s getting a bit stuffy in here, think I might go for a walk to clear my head outside.”   
  
“That’s alright, dear. But Alex, this conversation isn’t over.” Lucy warned. Suddenly, she remembered something and tried to call out to him, but her son had already walked out of the door. She shrugged. He will find out about it soon.   
  
Stepping outside, he breathed in the air, relieved of having being freed from Lucy’s rants about urban development. But then, his relief was short-lived for he saw only a few meters away from him, a tall, toned figure emerging from the family pool, wearing only a pair of speedos. _James fucking Brown._ Alex realised. Yet as much as he despised this man with every inch of his being, he could not look away. James patted his dripping hair with a towel, before slowly drying off the rest of his body. “Talk about aggressive phallic symbols.” Alex muttered to himself, finally understanding what Lucy meant.   
  
“Hey Alex!” James called out, waving at him. The younger Turnbull blushed, not realising that James could actually see him staring. He just hoped he hadn’t heard anything he had said. The athletic man walked towards him, the towel draped over his broad shoulders. “Lucy been giving you that rant about male-centric cities too, huh?”   
  
_Shit._ Alex realised. “Oh, just needed to go for a walk to stretch my legs.” Alex lied.   
  
“Cardio’s good.” James replied, “But swimming is even more enjoyable. Why don’t you and I race each other? I’m sure dad has another pair of speedos you can borrow. They might even fit you better than me: I personally think they’re a bit too tight.”  
  
 _Don’t look down, don’t look down_. Alex told himself. But even as he tried to maintain eye contact with James, he was still finding himself looking at those toned biceps. The man was not even flexing. Why was _he_ calling him dad anyway? Alex wondered, feeling a strong pang of jealousy.   
  
“Oh, no thanks. I’ve got a torn…neck muscle.” Alex lied, “Too much jogging.”  
  
James frowned, not entirely convinced by that excuse. “You must be doing your stretches wrong. Come here, let me take a look.”   
  
Alex felt conflicted. Was he going to let this man he could not stand the sight of, touch his neck? Did he _want_ him to? His heart was racing as James took a step closer, the callused fingers prodding against his neck gently. “You’re so tense.” He remarked with surprise. But before he could do any more massages, his parents had come out to join them. Alex did not know whether to feel disappointed or relieved as Brown released him from his grasp.   
  
“I’m so sorry Alex.” Lucy apologised, walking up to him “I was just about to tell you he was already here, but you were already out of the door.”   
  
“All good, mum.” Brown replied with a smile, “Alex and I were just having a chat about sports.”  
  
“Good on you.” Malcolm said encouragingly to his son-in-law, “For years we have been trying to get Alex interested in physical activity, but he’s just so obsessed with the screen. Back when he and Daisy were kids, he would make such a fuss if you switched off the television.” Alex scowled at his father, but Malcolm completely ignored him. “Where is Daisy, anyway?”  
  
“She’s just gone out to collect some groceries. Insisted on making the meal herself.” James explained, “Actually dad, can I ask you something?”   
  
“Sure son.” Malcolm responded, putting a hand on his shoulder, “Let’s go inside.” The older Turnbull walked briskly to the door, as if not wanting his son to overhear what they were speaking about. Alex sighed. Lucy watched the two walk into the house.   
  
“Don’t worry dear.” She said soothingly, “We’ll all find out about it soon. Anyway, do you follow James on Twitter? He seems to make some really interesting posts.”  
  
“Of course not, mother. Why should I bother with any of his drivel?” Alex grumbled, hating that Lucy was also a member of the Captain James Brown fan club.  
  
“That’s interesting.” Lucy remarked, taking out her phone and opening the Twitter app, “Because Yvonne does. She seems to like some of his posts too.”  
  
“What?!” Alex gasped in disbelief, “Let me see.” He took the phone off his mother, hoping that she was wrong. But there was no mistake: Yvonne was following the man he despised. “How could she do this to me?” Alex whined, “She knows how much I hate him.”  
  
“I’m sure it’s all perfectly innocent.” Lucy replied calmly, “Don’t stress too much about it.”   
  
But even after Lucy had left him in the backyard in peace, Alex could not help but worry. Hours flew by as he scrolled through James’s Twitter page, trying to understand what it was about this man that drew followers. Even though James had about a hundred less followers than he did, it still unnerved him that one of them happened to be his wife, who claimed to not be all that interested in Twitter. _He really doesn’t deserve to have over five hundred followers._ Alex thought darkly. What in the world made people like him so much?   
  
“Darling, it’s time for us to come inside.” Yvonne called from the doorway. Alex reluctantly put his phone in his pocket and stood up, following her inside. Her calm, caring expression disgusted him. How could she act so sweet, when she was following his greatest enemy? He began to shake slightly. Her dark eyes filled with concern as she noticed this, “Alex, are you okay?”   
  
“What do you think? Mrs ‘I don’t like to use Twitter’” He shot back.   
  
Yvonne looked at him in bewilderment, “What are you talking about?” She asked.   
  
“Forget it.” Alex snapped. He was too upset to articulate his thoughts clearly, and the last thing he wanted was for James to hear them quarrel. Knowing what the captain was like, he’d be thrilled to see Alex’s marriage fall apart.   
  
The two walked into the dining room, sitting directly opposite to the older Turnbulls. To his disgust, James was sitting right next to Yvonne. Immediately Alex stood up, tapping his wife on the arm “We have to swap seats.”  
  
“What, why? I thought you didn’t want to sit with him?” Yvonne whispered to him.   
  
“Just do as I say.” Alex whispered back furiously. Not wanting to make a scene, Yvonne allowed Alex to sit in her seat while she took his old one. Malcolm raised his eyebrows as he noticed the couple swap seats, but said nothing. Alex took a good look around the table, yet he couldn’t recognise most of the faces he saw. Perhaps they were James’s friends from the army. But then he felt his blood run cold as he saw a bespectacled silver-haired man sitting at the end of the table: David Speers, former journalist of Sky News, now working with the ABC. He felt violated, seeing a journalist as a guest of the family home. To Alex, the man was nothing but a Liberal Party hack, just like his father. He looked at Malcolm, to which the older man gave a sly smile. This was all his idea. It was as if his own father had ensured the whole event would be at his own discomfort. The urge to punch him in the face was overwhelming, but somehow, he managed to keep his fists by his side.   
  
“I need to get a drink.” Alex muttered to Yvonne, “Won’t be long.” Before she could say a word, he was already out of the room, walking down to the family’s wine cellar. He noticed his father’s _Château d'Yquem_ on the top shelf and had to stand on a stool to retrieve it from its place. He looked at the date on the label: 1856. A smile curled on his lips. If wine had been kept for that long, it would taste terrific. Just the thing he needed to brighten his mood, an escape from this disastrous situation. Alex opened the bottle, drinking a few gulps before hiding it in his jacket and making his way back to the dining table.   
  
The dinner seemed to go on for ages. Alex snuck a sip every now and then from the bottle, making sure nobody else could see it. But even though the drink was calming his nerves considerably, he was starting to lose his self-restraint. He noticed James was chattering to one of his friends about his exercise routine, to which Alex giggled. “What’s so funny?” James asked in amusement.  
  
“Oh, apologies _, Captain_.” Alex slurred mockingly, “It’s just that…with a body like that, you don’t even need to do that many bench presses.”   
  
“Err, thank you, Alex.” James chuckled, feeling slightly awkward by the uncharacteristic compliment.  
  
“No homo, of course!” Alex blurted out, before lowering his voice and leaning towards James, “But honestly, with a body like that, why did you marry my ugly as hell sister? I mean, you could always go for a model, you know.”  
  
Suddenly, Daisy rose to her feet, marched over to Alex and slapped him across the face. He could feel his face burn and it shocked him out of his drunken stupor. The whole room gasped. “All good, everyone. Just need to slap some sense into my brother.” She said with a bit of a laugh, walking back to her seat. Everyone else seemed to laugh along with her. “He’s always been a lightweight when drinking.” The whole room started to mutter and Alex realised with faint horror that they were actually talking about him now.   
  
“Everyone!” James called out, clinking the glass with the spoon to silence the room. Never, had Alex been so relieved to hear James’s voice, if it meant to distract everyone else from his behaviour, “There is an important announcement I would like to make.” Alex rolled his eyes, quickly realising that this speech was not going to be entertaining. H _ere we go_.   
  
“First of all, I would like to give my gratitude to the Turnbulls. My surrogate family.” He squeezed Daisy’s shoulder, to which she smiled proudly, “Malcolm, you have always been a father to me.” He said to the older Turnbull, “And I voted for you when you were Prime Minister. I think we are all wishing you would still be in power, but such is politics. But despite what that other guy did, I have been inspired by your journey and your strength.” James’s eyes were sparkling as he looked at Malcolm, who was clearly enjoying all of the flattery. “So I have decided to campaign for the seat of Wentworth.”   
  
The words startled Alex so much that he dropped the glass he was holding. His lip trembled and he had to stop himself from jigging his leg. Suddenly, all eyes had descended on him and he felt so small. He struggled to breathe. He shoved the chair aside as he clumsily got out, staggering to the door. Yvonne immediately started to follow him, Lucy as well.  
  
“What is the meaning of this?” Malcolm asked, getting out of his chair and walking towards them. He spotted the bottle in his son’s hand. Given his desperation to leave the room, Alex had forgotten to conceal it properly. “Alex…” The older Turnbull’s voice took on a stern tone, and it seemed as if Alex were thirty years younger “Is that my wine?”   
  
“I don’t know father!” Alex chuckled, suddenly amused by his father’s grim expression. That would serve him right, he thought nastily. “…But it’s damn good stuff.”   
  
But Malcolm was not in the mood for a laugh as he took a closer look at the bottle. “Alex, that is my 1856 Vintage! It was a gift from Xi Jingping. How much did you have?” He asked in alarm. It amazed Alex how emotional his father was getting over a bottle of wine.   
  
Alex shrugged, “I don’t know. But can’t you at least let me have this one thing, father? Please? Pretty please?”  
  
“Alex, I’m not going to ask you again. Give it to me.”   
  
The younger Turnbull held it close to his chest, like a child clinging onto a favourite toy. “No!” He shouted defiantly, suddenly upset that his father cared more about an inanimate object over his own son.   
  
The former prime minister would not go down without a fight. Gingerly, he tried to pry the bottle out of Alex’s grasp. “Give it here, Alex.”  
  
“NO!” Alex screamed, louder this time. The whole room had gone deadly quiet as everyone watched this family drama.“This is mine!”  
  
Grunting, Malcolm struggled to pull the bottle out of Alex’s grasp, but to no avail. Suddenly, Alex let go of the bottle with a scream. In his drunkenness, Alex had forgotten to replace the cork, causing the champagne to splash all over his father’s one thousand dollar shirt that he had picked specifically for James’s birthday.  
  
Soaked and humiliated, his greyish-blue eyes filled with rage, the former prime minister held the almost-empty bottle as he glared at his son.   
  
“And _this_ is why you will _never_ be the member for Wentworth!” Came the response, like icy cold daggers that seemed to pierce into and wound Alex’s confidence…or at least what was left of it. Malcolm turned and stormed out of the room. Alex ran away in the opposite direction.   
  
Yvonne started to go after him, but Lucy stood in her way. “Leave him to me.” She said reassuringly. “You just go finish your meal. It must be getting cold by now.” Reluctantly, Yvonne let her go. Perhaps Mrs Turnbull knew her son better than she did.


	2. Part 2

Lucy found her son slumped against one of the bannisters, head in his hands as he tried to process all that had happened. “You know, whenever your father yelled at you, I’d always find you hiding in that same spot.” She said, walking up the stairs to sit beside him.

“I guess some things never change.” Alex answered bitterly.   
  
“Please don’t take what your father says seriously. You know he loves you.” Lucy responded, putting a hand on his back. Alex could feel tears gathering in his eyes and tried to fight it.

“He never gave a crap about us!” Alex sobbed, unable to hide his emotions from the one person who understood him most, “He only cared about his job! He left you to take care of us both, and not once did he actually take time off to spend time with any of us!”   
  
Her hand stroked against his back, “Aw, Alex. You mustn’t hold this against him. You know that times were tough for us on the farm. We wouldn’t be living here right now if he didn’t work hard to provide for us all. He just wanted the best life for you and your sister. As a parent, I’m sure you can understand that.”   
  
But he could not think logically. Everything was a horrible mistake and he regretted being there. He curled into a ball, rocking backwards and forwards. Lucy gently ran her hand through his hair, soothing him. Instinctively, he leaned his head against the older woman’s shoulder, tears running down his face. She began to sing a song for him that always calmed him down, even as a small child.   
  
_Hush little baby don’t say a word_ _Mummy’s going to buy you a mocking bird_ _  
  
__And if that mocking bird won’t sing_ _Mummy’s going to buy you a diamond ring…_   
  
Little did they know, Yvonne had heard and seen the whole scenario. She looked at Lucy in confusion, who was still singing and stroking her son’s hair as if he were a child. The sight disturbed her and she quickly left the room.   
  
After Lucy had finished singing, Alex took a few deep breaths and stopped crying immediately.  
  
“There you are.” His mother said warmly, standing up to head back to the other guests, “Now go wash your face and have a lie down. We’re not going to do photos for a while.”  
  
Immediately, Alex clung onto his mother’s arm, “Can you come with me?” He begged. In a time like this, all he wanted was his mother’s love and support. He would give anything to be five again, lying beside his mother in bed whilst his dad was working late hours at work on the Spycatcher case.*   
  
“I don’t think so, dear. People will be wondering where I am.”   
  
Alex’s face fell, but he understood. Crestfallen, he made his way to the guest bedroom, where he lay down on the bed and then took a nap.   
  
By the time he got back, everyone was prepared to have photos taken. James grinned at Alex. “Here’s the man of the hour! Are you feeling better? We’re just ready to take some photos.”   
  
“I’m fine.” Alex mumbled, walking over to Yvonne, who seemed relieved to see her husband back to his normal self. “We need to get out of here.” He muttered to her.   
  
“Actually, I think it would be best if I stand beside you, Alex. After all, we are brothers!” He chuckled, stepping in between the couple. The younger Turnbull frowned, although Yvonne did not seem terribly fazed. “Is everyone ready?”   
  
All the guests and family members gathered around closely and the camera clicked. Alex realised that he was still scowling and had forgotten to remove his glasses. “We need to take another one,” He said quickly.   
  
James looked at the camera. “It looks fine. I think everyone’s all tired anyway. Let’s call it a night, eh?” He patted Alex on the shoulder and took Daisy’s hand with his other hand. “Oh, and you will make sure to donate to my campaign, won’t you?” He said with a cheeky grin. Clenching his fists, Alex looked on James and Daisy left the room, the other guests also taking off. After all, they were only there for James. The guests said their hasty goodbyes to Malcolm and Lucy, but made no effort to say goodbye to Alex, who they all felt a bit terrified with.  
  
“We should get going too.” Alex realised, knowing that he was on the verge of exploding after that man asked for some money. There was no way in hell he was going to support that man. But worst of all, he felt cheated: that position could have been his, and his father gave it to James.   
  
“You’re welcome to stay here.” Lucy offered, noticing her son’s tense manner. She could not help but worry about how he was going to be back at the hotel.  
  
“No, you’ve done enough.” Malcolm snapped at Alex. He turned to Yvonne, giving her an embarrassed smile, “Sorry about my son’s behaviour. I hope you had a good night. Wǎn'ān!”   
  
“Goodnight, B-bà Bà.” Yvonne responded gingerly, taking Alex’s hand, “And thank you for everything.” She said, looking at Lucy.  
  
“Oh, it’s no trouble.” Lucy responded, not realising that her husband was frowning at her in disagreement. “Do you need us to order a taxi?”  
  
“I’m sure he’s got enough in his hedge fund for that, Lucy.” Malcolm responded distantly. “Well, time for you two to go. Bye!”   
  
~  
  
Back in the hotel, Alex was on his laptop again, scrolling through Twitter. Yvonne lay beside him on the bed, watching his expression.  
  
“Do you want to talk about what happened today?” Yvonne asked, resting a hand on his arm.   
  
“FINALLY! Finally you want to know!” He shouted triumphantly, shutting the laptop lid, albeit a bit too roughly. He placed the laptop on the nightstand before turning around to face his wife. “I want to know what the devil _you_ were doing, liking James fucking Brown’s posts on Twitter!”   
  
Yvonne sighed. The neurotic tantrum was the last thing she needed after such a big day. “Alex, please calm down. I just thought he made some good points. Besides, he’s family.”   
  
“I can’t even believe he has the audacity to ask us for funding for his campaign!” Alex continued to rave, shaking his head in dismay, “You know my hedge fund isn’t going that well but he doesn’t know that! We can barely afford our penthouse suite in Singapore as it is!”  
  
“Alex, I told you I can help you with that.” Yvonne said, trying to be helpful.  
  
“What kind of man gets a woman to pay for him? You think James Brown lets my sister pay for anything?!” Alex spat. He stood up, walking over to the mirror. He was only wearing a pair of briefs. “And what about this?!” He asked, grabbing at his stomach rolls, “I saw what he looked like when he came out of the pool. Fucking Captain Brown has a six pack and what do I have?”   
  
Yvonne got out of the bed, walking towards her husband and wrapping her arms around him from behind. “I love you just as you are, Alex. You know this. Why do I need to prove it to you?”   
  
Alex pulled away, wagging a finger at her “You’re lying. I bet, once you take your share from me, you’re going to divorce me and run off with that creep!”   
  
The paranoid rants were too much, and she struck him on the cheek. Alex held his cheek, which was throbbing a fair bit after already being slapped by his sister earlier that day. “You are being absolutely ridiculous, Alex.” Yvonne stated firmly, her voice level. “What has gotten into you? Why are you so scared of him?”  
  
“My father has never, ever cared for Daisy and I.” Alex responded, “He was always _too busy_ for us. And now, instead of actually making up for lost time, he chooses James for his own seat! I will never, ever forgive him. He’s always been so selfish.” His eyes were shining with malice as he stepped closer to his wife. Yvonne backed away, “Make no mistake, Yvonne, I _will_ make him pay.”   
  
His wife turned away from him, suddenly so weary and climbed back into bed and switched off the lamp on the nightstand. “Please get some sleep, darling.” Yvonne responded with a yawn. “Please.”  
  
Reluctantly, he climbed into bed beside her. Even though he had switched off the lamp on his side of the bed, he opened up Twitter on his phone, scrolling through it frantically. Immediately he found what he was looking for: the Labor candidate for the seat of Wentworth. Since his father was not following him, let alone James, he began to retweet a few of the man’s posts. Even though he felt exhausted, he was only just getting started.  
  
~


	3. Part 3

Although it was time to head home, Alex persuaded Yvonne that he had to stay in Australia. “Mother wants to see me. It’s been a long time since we’ve spent any quality time together.”  
  
Yvonne looked slightly uncomfortable at that suggestion. Immediately the image of Lucy singing a lullaby to her husband flashed in her mind as he said this. But she knew she couldn’t argue with him. She did not have the energy for another temper tantrum. “Of course. But I need to look after the kids. Are you sure you will be okay on your own?”  
  
“Absolutely!” Alex said with a smile. Yvonne felt somewhat relieved to see him smile again. She pecked him on the cheek lightly. “Take care of yourself.” And with that, she was out of the door.   
  
There was a lot to be done. Hours after Yvonne had gone, Alex made sure to keep posting tweets that promoted the opposing party. But after a while, he realised it was all mundane and only his followers were going to see the tweets. He had to be more proactive. With a smirk, he clicked on James Brown’s Twitter account, viewing where the man was going to campaign. As expected, from a photo posted five minutes ago, Brown was already at the campaign booth, handing out pamphlets with a smile. Alex closed the laptop lid and then made a phone call to hire a car.  
  
Alex made his way to the area James was campaigning. When he got out of the car, he put a cap over his head, making sure to keep his head down so that nobody would recognise him. As he walked over to where the candidates stood, he saw a box full of pamphlets left unattended. James was in the middle of a light-hearted conversation with an elderly resident, who wanted a photo taken with him. Alex snuck over to the box and then picked up the whole stack of pamphlets, tucking them into his jacket before walking off quickly. He watched from the safety of his car James’s reaction when he went over to the box to take out more pamphlets to hand out.  
  
“Hey, Sally.” James said in concern to one of the volunteers, “Where did all my pamphlets go?”  
  
The volunteer looked at the box in disbelief and then looked back at him. “Hmm, that’s strange.” She remarked. “I’ll go see if we can get more printed out.”   
  
“Thanks Sally, you’re a gem.” James said sweetly. Alex wanted to throw up at the artificiality of his voice. But as he was watching the whole situation, the volunteer looked up at him directly. She narrowed her eyes trying to work out who he was.   
  
“Shit!” Alex cursed, quickly backing out of the car spot. He drove away quickly, hoping that James had not seen him either. At least the car was a rental. James would have no hope in tracking down who was really in there, for Alex had paid the rental service a few hundred to keep his name off the records. He chuckled manically as he drove far away from the area.   
  
In a couple of hours, when James and the volunteers had gone home, Alex snuck back to the same spot. He looked around carefully to see if there were any observers. Thankfully, the area was completely deserted. The younger Turnbull walked towards the posters that were left behind from the campaign, ripping them off the surrounding walls. He felt a strange sense of satisfaction as he did this, watching his nemesis’s face peel off the wall, leaving a clean slate behind as if he were never there. He continued to do this, even having to drive through shopping strips to peel off posters from shopfronts.  
  
It was exhausting work. He could not believe how many posters there were. Sweating and certain he had gotten all the posters down, Alex drove towards the outskirts, away from any main streets. The sun was descending as he reached a park. He got out of the car and put together a small campfire. It had been ages since he had been in boy’s scouts and struggled to get it going at first. Finally, after much frustration, a few flames began to dance about. He took all the pamphlets and posters out of the car, throwing them all into the fire. Oh, the sense of joy he felt as he watched James’s smiling face get devoured by the flames. Even though he was exhausted, he felt so grateful after having completed this task.   
  
Alex waited around in the dark for all the papers to turn into ash before putting out the fire and then making his way back to the hotel. What he needed right now was a warm shower and a good night’s sleep. And tonight, he was going to sleep particularly well. **  
**

~   
  
The next day, Alex did his usual check up on Twitter. To his surprise, a message was waiting for him in his account. He clicked on it immediately, to which it showed a video of him peeling a poster of James Brown off a wall. Beneath was a sinister message:  
  
_I will post this video directly onto my page if you do not do as I say.  
  
_ “Fuck!” Alex gasped, putting a hand to his mouth. His heart was racing like a rabbit being cornered. How could he have not noticed anyone else lurking about when he was pulling down the posters? He began to chew his nails in anxiety, his other hand checking to see who sent him the message.   
  
_David Speers._ Alex groaned. He did not need a pesky journalist blackmailing him now. But perhaps there was an easy way to buy him off. _  
  
__What do you want? Money?_ Alex typed immediately at the message. He waited with bated breath for the next message. Three dots popped up and he exhaled. At least now Speers was responding.  
  
_I don’t care for money._ Came the reply. _I want a good story. Give me something that is better than this video._ _  
  
__Ok._ Responded Alex, trying to think quickly. What would father do in this situation? Politicians often talked their ways out of a situation. Maybe there was a way he could get out of it through words and false promises.   
  
_I will feature on your Insiders Program._ Alex replied, thinking on his feet. _You can ask me whatever you like._ _  
  
__Whatever I like?_ Came the reply. _You better mean that, Turnbull._ _  
  
__Nothing is off limits. I just need you to delete this video and all traces of this conversation._ Alex waited, jigging his leg in anxiety. Was this really something he could pull off? Perhaps if he did it right, there would be a way to keep his reputation unscathed.  
  
_OK. Come to ABC Southbank Centre, Melbourne tomorrow night. Do not let me down._ _  
  
_Alex put his head in his hands. It was time to book another flight. He also needed some strong coffee.   
  
~


	4. Chapter 4

Running on a lack of sleep and only twenty-six cups coffee, Alex finally arrived at the ABC Southbank Centre. He walked into the studio, looking around anxiously. He could see Speers in the green room, having his foundation touched up by a makeup artist. Quickly, he darted aside so that he would not catch sight of him. “We’ll be recording again in five minutes!” A crewmember called out to the makeup artist. “Has the guest speaker arrived yet?”   
  
“He will.” Speers responded with smug certainty. Alex could have strangled that man. But there were more important things he had to do first.  
  
Quickly, he entered the production control room, putting on one of the crewmember t-shirts that were left in the corridor. He stood from afar, watching the way the other crewmembers set up the lighting and getting Speers to sit in the right position. Alex craned his neck to examine the controls, before he spotted Speers getting agitated on screen and pulling out his mobile phone. _Crap._ He realised. He had to head back out. Slipping off the t-shirt, he darted back out to the corridor.  
  
“Alex Turnbull, is that you?” One of the crewmembers called out. Alex quickly attempted to fix his hair. “Where have you been?”   
  
“Sorry, had trouble finding the toilet.” Alex lied.  
  
“Well come on then, we’re going to start recording soon. Just sit down on the chair across from Speers. All you need to do is answer questions.” Alex rolled his eyes. These Melburnians were insufferable, making him sound as if he had never done an interview in his life. Honestly, the _nerve_ of these men.   
  
Suddenly, Alex’s heart was racing as some doubts began to fill his mind. Was it possible that they knew about the video? No. There was no chance. Alex already was offering to do the interview. And besides, if Speers broke his promise and tried to share the video, he could work out a way to hack his phone and delete it. Taking a few deep breaths, he finally walked into the green room.   
  
Speers nodded approvingly at Alex. “Ah, Mr Turnbull. So glad you can join us. Just look into the camera on the right there. Yes, that’s it. Make sure you smile.” Ugh, the patronising nature of this man! Alex clenched his fists. He hoped that the coffees he had earlier would be enough to get him through this journalist’s annoying questions. But, like the son of a politician, he flashed a big smile at the camera.  
  
“Now, for the last part of today’s program, we have Alex Turnbull with us. Thank you for coming, Alex. Now firstly I would like to ask…”  
  
The interview seemed to go well for the most part, and Alex felt he was able to divert from the main questions that Speers was asking with reasonable ease. But towards the end, Speers was having no more half-answers.  
  
“Now I know your father has endorsed James Brown as the member of Wentworth. In your honest opinion, is he a good match?” Alex bit his lip to stop it from trembling. That bastard. He tried to still his hands, which were clearly shaking from too much coffee. He could not let Speers get away with this. The older man watched Alex with mock concern, his right hand journeying towards his pocket, ready to post an incriminating video to the world in a matter of seconds.   
  
“If you want my honest opinion,” Alex said firmly, ignoring the fact that he was sweating profusely, “No. James Brown may be family, but he has absolutely no idea about politics. He has not lived it, or been surrounded by it to the point where it has consumed his life.” The hand left the pocket. Speers nodded approvingly, “I see. Thank you for your honest answer. When you say someone whose life has been consumed by politics, are you talking about yourself?” _  
  
__You know the answer, you ignorant fuck, you were there_. Alex wanted to say, but stopped himself. “Yes. I believe I have what it takes.” After all that coffee, his mind was racing and before he knew it, he was slipping into Twitter-speak”…After all, I have _big dick energy_.” Instantly he felt disgusting, trying to make himself sound as confident as his father. But this was what the media would have wanted.  
  
Speers smirked, pleased to have finally received what he wanted. “Thank you for your time, Alex.”   
  
“Thank you for having me.” Alex managed to choke.   
  
He turned back to the main camera “That’s all we have time for. If you enjoyed this interview, you can access this on ABC iView...” 

After the camera had stopped recording, the crewmembers began to dim the lights before packing up their equipment. Speers had gone off to get a cup of coffee, clearly thrilled by what just had happened on his show. Alex dashed into the production control room. He quickly slid under the table, trying to keep as still and as quiet as possible while the crewmembers finished up. He bit his hand to keep his teeth from chattering. At last, they turned off the lights and had left the room, shutting the door behind them.   
  
Wasting no time at all, Alex went onto one of the computers, finding today’s recording and then pressing delete. He checked for any other copies of it on the computer, deleting all the files from today that he could find: It would be too suspicious if he only deleted the scene of the interview, after all.  
  
So immersed in his search through the systems, Alex did not realise someone else was in the room, watching him. A hand touched his shoulder, and he froze instantly. Even though the room was dark and his eyes were on the screen, he knew exactly who it was.  
  
“You almost had me fooled, Alex.” Speers said with a chuckle. “But I knew something was up when you did not bother to stay around to say goodbye.”   
  
Alex spun around to face him. He was not going to allow himself to be intimidated by this man. “If you are going to blackmail me, expect that I am going to play dirty.” He responded menacingly. “Also, why are you going after me?! Captain James Brown is the one you should be cornering.”   
  
Speers sighed, taking a seat on one of the chairs next to him. “I just want to know why, Alex.” He said, looking into his eyes. Alex felt himself shake again. A hand touched his knee; “It is only the two of us, now. No cameras. No recordings. I want the whole uncensored story…with you.”   
  
“How much did you see at the party?” Alex asked in paranoia. The hand on his knee felt oddly comforting, but he still felt guarded. What did this man want?   
  
“Only your outburst with the wine. I have to say, I was impressed by your display of emotion that evening. I just wished we had received more of that on the interview…not that it matters anymore.”

Alex pulled away from Speers’s grasp, afraid of what he would do if he allowed his hand to rest on his knee any longer. He had to keep his guard up and fight.

“You sick freak. What do you want with me? I don’t even know you, or care about your pathetic left-wing show. Is _Insiders_ really losing ratings so much that you have to get _me_ to talk for you now?” Alex laughed, clearly worked up by this encounter more than Speers, “I did nothing wrong. So what, I removed a few posters. I don’t want Brown to win.”   
  
The journalist watched Alex’s jerky movements with curiosity. He had never seen anyone this nervous before. But it was endearing. “Do you normally feel this uncomfortable around male authority, Alex?” Speers asked gently, leaning forward. “What did daddy do to you to make you so bitter? Did he not hug you enough when you were a child? I’ve seen your tweets, Alex. I see how you lash out at me and anyone else that you feel threatened by. But, is there something you need instead?”   
  
“Need?! What can I possibly need?” Alex laughed in denial, a tear falling down his cheek, “I don’t _need_ anything. After all those years of father pretending like I don’t exist. And now, James fucking Brown, the golden boy of the Turnbull family is father’s new son. I have done well for myself without my failure of a father’s help in my life! I am perfectly _happy_.” A few more tears rolled down his face as he began to cry, knowing full well that he was anything but.   
  
A hand touched against Alex’s face, wiping away the tears. He tensed immediately, conflicted, just as he was that day when James was touching his neck. Normally, if anyone touched him like this, he would pull away, but he was frightened of how he felt now, if he did.   
  
“Don’t do that.” Alex muttered, still struggling to keep a front. His whole body started to quiver.   
  
“Why not, Alex?” Speers asked, “What are you afraid of?”  
  
“Enough with the bloody questions! Can you just stop being a journalist for one minute?!” Alex cried. The older man’s curiosity was frustrating him and he could not take it anymore. He rose to his feet, grabbing hold of one of Speers’s shoulder, his fist in the air, ready to land a punch in his face. He needed to give him what he really deserved.   
  
But instead, he found himself dropping his fist, his body weak with shaking as he collapsed onto Speers’s lap, his lips crashing hopelessly into the other man’s. To his surprise, Speers reciprocated. In all of his anxiety, Alex bit Speers’s lip, tasting the other man’s blood in his mouth. He could feel himself harden they continued to kiss. “I hate you,” Alex muttered in between rough kisses, “God I hate you.”   
  
Speers grabbed hold of Alex’s hair at the back of his head. “You’re a very naughty boy, aren’t you?” He said with a chuckle, running his other hand against the bulge of Alex’s pants. “A very interesting way to hate someone too. If this is how you treat your enemies, I’m pleased to be one.” He let go of Alex and started to unbuckle his belt, “Why don’t you let out this frustration another way?”   
  
Obediently, Alex got on his knees, resting his head against the journalist’s lap. Speers unzipped his pants, releasing his cock. The younger Turnbull took him into his mouth immediately.  
  
“Oh you greedy boy. Not much different to your father.”* Speers murmured before moaning as Alex’s tongue ran against his member. “You may be hopeless at politics, but you’re certainly, ah, good with this.” He tugged against Alex’s hair. “Keep going.”   
  
Alex continued as requested, unable to stop. As much as he hated the man, he craved this sort of praise. As he continued, Speers continued to moan, stroking his hair. “Mmm, that’s a good boy. Ahhh, you’re the perfect little slut for _this_ daddy, aren’t you?” As soon as he said this, Alex went faster, trying to silence this annoying journalist, but at the same time, desperate to get more praise. He could feel the other man’s thighs tremble as he did so. _Serves you right, Speers_. Alex thought darkly. Given how much he shook under Speers’s interrogation earlier, this was the perfect payback.  
  
Eventually, Speers began to moan louder. “I’m going to come.” He muttered through gritted teeth. He pulled on Alex’s hair roughly, causing the other to go down on him faster “You better swallow.”   
  
Once Speers had come, Alex swallowed every last drop as requested. He felt so sticky himself, and desperate for something more. After he was done, he looked up at the journalist, “Please…” Alex begged, still on his knees.   
  
Speers peered down from his spectacles at him. “What is it you need, Alex?”  
  
Alex blushed, too embarrassed for what he desperately wanted, but was too scared to say. Even though he hated this man, hated _any_ man that spoke down to him, he enjoyed it. His mind went back to the day when he watched James come out of the pool, trying with all his might not to stare at his body for too long. It was a thought he tried to push out of his mind as he lay in bed beside his sleeping wife while he tried to distract himself with Twitter.  
  
“I need…I need you to fuck me.” Alex whispered.   
  
“What’s the magic word?” Speers asked, heightening the younger man’s arousal.  
  
“P-please.” Alex grumbled, biting his lip.   
  
Speers smiled in approval and got up from the chair, towering over Alex more. “Get up.” He said. Alex immediately got to his feet and Speers assisted him with removing his trousers. The journalist was clearly pleased to see Alex’s arousal. “Well, you weren’t lying when you said you had ‘big dick energy’. You’re quite blessed in that department. I see no reason why you are so self-conscious.” The younger man merely blushed, completely tongue-tied. He had never received that sort of compliment from anyone.  
  
“Now get on your hands and knees and face away from me.” He instructed. Alex did as he was told, trembling in anticipation. He could feel the other man’s length as he entered into him. Alex gasped as Speers began to thrust.  
  
“Harder!” Alex grunted. “Please…” Speers intensified his movements, causing Alex to moan with pleasure. All of the pent up frustration was finally being released, and for the first time in ages, he was finally at ease. Even though he was infuriating, Speers seemed to know exactly what made him feel good.   
  
“Yes, yes!” Alex cried, finally reaching his climax. Speers finally let him go, and he fell back into the other man’s arms.   
  
Speers kissed Alex gently on the mouth. “Are you feeling better now?” He asked.  
  
“What do you think?” Alex asked in irritation. He was starting to feel nervous again about the video. “What now?” he dared to ask.   
  
Reading his mind, Speers gave a laugh, “Don’t worry about the video. Given that spectacular performance you just gave me, consider it deleted. But perhaps, you should consider flying down to Melbourne the next time you get this worked up again. It will be our secret arrangement.”   
  
Alex sighed. “Okay, fine. But not here, okay?”  
  
Speers patted him on the shoulder, “I’ll send you the address of my apartment through Twitter. The door is unlocked, so let yourself in.” He helped retrieve Alex’s pair of trousers and gave them back to him. The younger man sat down on one of the chairs to put the trousers back on. This was an arrangement that he could live with. But it was just a matter of keeping this from Yvonne. “I better go home. Take care of yourself, Alex.” And with that, the journalist slunk back in the shadows, as quickly as he had appeared.   
  
Once Alex returned back to the hotel, he collapsed on the bed, his mind racing with conflicting thoughts. Was he able to fulfil this challenge? He wondered, rolling over on his side. It was a struggle with power, but a struggle he was sure that could help him in the long run. He felt bad for Yvonne, but given how less anxious he felt from that encounter, perhaps she would come to understand if she ever found out. After all, she had always wanted him to be happy.   
  
Alex sighed. Even though he was supposed to be exhausted, he felt a lot more energised. He took out his phone and began to post some scathing attacks, making sure to tag David Speers: another man he loved to hate.  
  
He just needed that validation, one more time. 

**Author's Note:**

> *Footnotes for explanations:
> 
> “…Alex whined, knowing all too well the rant she was going to have about building women-friendly cities.”: In 2014, the former First Lady did a TED Talk in relation to “designing cities for women”. In the speech, she points out that cities are not built in a way that is convenient for women who do the household/childhood management roles. You can watch the video in the link below. Obviously the fic was an exaggeration of her actual speech. 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUFxDXB24J0 
> 
> “He would give anything to be five again, lying beside his mother in bed whilst his dad was working late hours at work on the Spycatcher case.”: This was a subtle reference to a previous fic I wrote about the aftermath of Turnbull winning the Spycatcher case against the Thatcher government. 
> 
> “Oh you greedy boy. Not much different to your father.”: Speers subtly hints that there was a prior relationship between himself and the older Turnbull. Although it was never published, this was a reference to a fic I wrote five years ago involving Malcolm Turnbull and David Speers’s interview on Sky News. While it is tempting to try and complete this story, it might be completely irrelevant now, given that Turnbull is no longer Communications Minister. 
> 
> Translation key:
> 
> Ni Hao: Hello
> 
> Bà Bà: Father 
> 
> Wǎn'ān: Goodnight


End file.
